A lot of the phrases you hear in the video seem ridiculous — "kidnapping oriented," "outdated and problematic language," and "point the gun in a more equitable way." Of course, no one expects a victim of a real hostage situation to speak to her kidnappers in this stilted language. In fact, I think most of us don't expect regular people to talk like this in any situation.
Yet the video struck a nerve with a lot of college-aged users. The reason it's funny to students is because it is relatable. That much is obvious from its more than 52,000 likes on Instagram and more than 87,000 likes on TikTok. The comment section is filled with students continuing the video with their own leftist-language contributions to the fake hostage situation.
To be clear, woke academia doesn't just destroy intellectual diversity by discriminating against conservatives; those in it also take aim at students based on their race and sex.
Professors have a big responsibility to encourage students to speak up and engage in the course material, yet some actively inhibit free discourse. I've been in classes where the professor forbade men from taking part in the discussion, "so other voices can be heard."
Lukus Berber, a class of 2019 alumnus of the University of Chicago, said "the professor asked white people not to chime in most of the time" while he was taking a race theory political science course during his fourth year. "It was just another example of absurd leftist authoritarianism that, ironically, has a nasty flourish of racism," said Berber. "It crushes debate and divides people further by focusing on innate characteristics — not the quality of their arguments."
Even if a professor does work hard to facilitate open dialogue, many students are still afraid to speak their minds for fear of social shaming and ostracization at the hands of their peers for contributing with non-mainstream (a.k.a non-left-wing) takes.
The woke dictionary is a way to soften speech in our "fear of offending" culture. Calling out others for using "dated" and "problematic language" is how students can virtue signal by showing off how sensitive they are. If you prequel anything slightly controversial with "speaking from a place of privilege," there's a better chance your peers won't label you a racist.
Why are schools training college students to self-censor or couch their beliefs in leftist jargon? The answer is the left hopes the indoctrination beginning at school will bleed into every other aspect of American life. Students take what they learn in college and apply it wherever they go after graduation.
If you've ever wondered why so many of the younger people at your workplace are totally down with, if not pushing, "sensitivity training," the reason is that after four years of intense brainwashing, they think it's totally normal.
Evita Duffy is an intern at The Federalist and a junior at the University of Chicago, where she studies American History. She loves the Midwest, lumberjack sports, writing, & her family. Follow her on Twitter at @evitaduffy_1
I'd love to hear what they'll call "flat earth" thinking.